War of Nations Preview

War has never been more social!

War – what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, unless it’s the kind of fake war that makes up the subject matter of so many real-time strategy (RTS) games. Then it’s the more the merrier, which is why GREE hopes everyone will take part in War of Nations, a thoroughly social RTS that will be invading iOS devices in the coming months.

In the grand tradition of games like Command & Conquer, War of Nations will have you mining for resources to build up your base and researching new technologies to make your forces more formidable. As a new player, you’ll start in the outer ring of the circular game world, aiming to fight your way to the center. The richest deposits of resources lie there, which also means that the competition to get them will be fierce.

Strategy will be important once the munitions start flying, especially the placement of units before battle. Screenshots show off a variety of unit types, including land and air vehicles and two-legged walkers. To help make your troops all that they can be, you’ll also have a commander whose special powers and leadership multipliers can help win the day. Commanders can be leveled up, but you’ll get a random one each day to keep things interesting.

You won’t have to fight this particular war alone either. The game supports (and probably strongly encourages) players banding together in alliances to work together against stronger enemies and plan large-scale attacks. The large number of players already on the GREE network should help groups form quickly, which will be crucial since the game is a strictly multiplayer affair.

Since War of Nations is aiming for the hardcore crowd, it will be playable in short bursts or in longer sessions.It’s built on a free-to-play model but won’t be “pay to win,” so you won’t have to fret about other players spending their way into superior firepower. Though as Tony Stark might say, the best way to keep other players at bay will probably be to have a bigger stick than the other guys and girls.

GREE is looking to unleash this particular brand of war on compatible iPhones, iPads and iTouches this summer, giving you just a few months to get those strategic brain cells ready and Edwin Starr out of your head. Sorry about that.